5 Ways to Dress Up Tomato Soup Recipe (2024)

FAQs

What can I add to tomato soup to make it taste better? ›

You can add fresh herbs like basil or oregano, a splash of heavy cream for richness, a drizzle of olive oil for depth of flavor, or a sprinkle of grated cheese on top for added creaminess. You can also sauté some onions and garlic to add complexity, or even add cooked pasta or rice to make it heartier.

I gotta be honest: Even after all the effort spent coaxing max flavor out of my canned soups, deciding what goes on top is still the funnest part. Add swirls of pesto, chili crisp, hot sauce, sour cream, or salted yogurt. Garnish your bowl with fried shallots, garlic chips, croutons, or a mish-mash of toasted seeds.

Olive oil and butter – They create the soup's rich base. To make this recipe dairy-free, feel free to use additional olive oil instead of the butter. Carrots, onion, and garlic – These aromatic veggies give the soup savory depth of flavor. Balsamic vinegar – It adds sweetness and tang.

Salting tomatoes is the #1 way to bring out the natural flavor of tomatoes. I will get back to this in a bit. Noted world-famous-expert-Chef Thomas Keller put it very succinctly: Salt enhances flavor while {black} Pepper adds flavor OR changes flavor. And Pepper is one my most beloved things in the culinary world …

Depending on the soup's flavor profile, you could shake in some cumin or red pepper flakes. Go green: Add some spinach or chopped kale or pesto. Get zesty: A squirt of lemon juice or zest could brighten up an otherwise flat soup. Starchy things: Homemade croutons, crushed tortilla chips, or oyster crackers.

First, pour some olive oil into the pot and heat it over medium heat. Then, add the canned tomatoes to the pot and let them cook for about 10 minutes. After 10 minutes, add some garlic, basil, salt, and pepper to the pot and let everything cook for another 20 minutes. And that's it!

Perk up a Bland Soup With Simple Pantry Staples

Add a splash of vinegar (any kind!), or a squeeze of citrus. Chances are, you could use a little more salt. Go ahead—it's ok. Salt perks up flat flavors and helps balance out bitter-tasting ingredients.

Adding milk or cream to a soup can balance contrasting tastes and help ingredients that don't typically mesh blend seamlessly. Plus, the extra calories in milk or cream can make for a more filling soup served solo and without any accompanying sides.

How to upgrade tomato soup? ›

Use Herbs and Seasonings

Add chopped fresh basil or parsley at the end of cooking to bring out that rich tomato flavor. Turn to your pantry for seasonings like fresh cracked black pepper, Italian seasoning or oregano, stirring them in while the soup is still cooking.

Finish your soup by tossing in some chiles or fresh herbs and giving it a drizzle of olive oil, a squeeze of lemon, or a sprinkle of lemon zest. "That way, one bite will have a lot of those ingredients, and the next one won't," says Kluger. "Soup is more interesting when one bite is different from another."

Spice Up Your Life. A pinch of seasoning can make all the difference to freshen up the flavors in a ho-hum soup. Most canned soups have plenty of sodium, so skip the salt and stick with spices like cumin or curry powder or try dried herbs like basil or rosemary.

If the soup tastes bland at all, a bit more salt will do the trick, that doesn't just apply to this tomato soup recipe but just about anything you'll ever find yourself cooking.

"Ground paprika, turmeric, nutmeg, ground ginger, and other powdered spices add a touch of color and spiciness to broths," she says. As a general rule, use fresh herbs at or near the end of cooking and dried herbs and spices early on. This helps you get the flavors you're looking for in the right balance.

Yes, there are other ways to make your tomatoes taste even better and increase the acidity. There is lemon, vinegar, or my personal favorite, balsamic. Just imagine a tomato bruschetta with a balsamic vinaigrette drizzled on top. Yummy!